SOURCE: "Governour Thomas Dudley's Letter to the Countess of Lincoln, March, 1631," in Peter Force (ed.), Tracts and Other Papers . . . (4 vols.; New York: Peter Smith,, 1947), H, iv, 7-15, 18-19.
Note: The spelling has been converted to the modern American form.
Touching the plantation which we here have begun, it fell out thus about
the year 1627 some friends being together in Lincolnshire, fell into
some discourse about New England and the planting of the gospel there;
and after some deliberation, we imparted our reasons by letters and messages
to some in London and the West Country where it was likewise deliberately
thought upon and at length with often negotiation so ripened that in the
year 1628 we procured a patent from his Majesty for our planting betwen
the Massachusetts Bay, and Charles River on the south; and the River of
Merimack on the north and 3 miles on either side of those rivers and bay,
as also for the government of those who did or should inhabit within that
compass and the same year we sent Mr. John Endecott and some with him to
begin a plantation and to strengthen such as he should find there which
we sent thither from Dorchester and some places adjoining from whom the
same year receiving hopefull news. The next year, 1629, we sent diverse
ships over with about 300 people, and some cows,
goats and horses, many of which arrived safely. These by their too large
comendations of the country, and the comodities thereof, invited us so
strongly to go on that Mr. Wenthropp, of Soffolke (who was well
known in his own country and well approved here for his piety, liberality,
wisdom and gravity) coming in to us, we came to such resolution that
in April 1630, we set sail from Old England with 4 good ships. And in
May following 8 more followed, 2 having gone before in February and March,
and 2 more following in June and August, besides another set out by a
private merchant. These 17 Ships arrived all safe in New England, for
the increase of the plantation here this year 1630 but made a long, a
troublesome, and a costly voyage being all wind-bound long in England,
and hindred with contrary winds after they set sail and so scattered with
mists and tempests that few of them arrived together. Our 4 ships which
set out in April arrived here in June and July, where we found the
colony in a sad and unexpected condition, above 80 of them being dead the
winter before and many of those alive weak and sick: all the corn and
bread amongst them all, hardly sufficient to feed them a fortnight,
insomuch that the remainder of 180 servants we had the 2 years
before sent over, coming to us for victuals to sustain them we found
ourselves wholly unable to feed them by reason that the provisions shipped
for them were taken out of the ship they were put in, and they who were
trusted to ship them in another failed us, and left them behind; whereupon
necessity enforced us to our extreme loss to give them all liberty; who
had cost us about 16 or 20 £s a person furnishing and sending over.
But bearing these things as we might, we began to consult of the place of
our sitting down; for Salem where we landed, pleased us not. And to that
purpose some were sent to the Bay to search up the rivers for a convenient
place; who upon their return reported to have found a good place upon
Mistick [Mystic]; but some other of us seconding these to approve or
dislike of their judgement; we found a place liked us better 3 leagues up
Charles River, and there upon unshipped our goods into other vessels and
with much cost and labor brought them in July to Charles Town;
but there receiving advertisements by some of the late arrived ships from
London and Amsterdam of some French preparations against us (many of our
people brought with us being sick of fevers and the scurvy and we
thereby unable to cary up or ordinance and baggage so far) we were
forced to change counsel and for our present shelter to plant dispersedly,
some at Charles Town which standeth on the north side of the mouth of
Charles River; some on the south side thereof, which place we
named Boston (as we intended to have done the place we first resolved on)
some of us upon Mistick, which we named Medford; some of us westwards
on Charles River, 4 miles from Charles Town, which place we named
Watertown; others of us 2 miles from Boston in a place we named Roxbury,
others upon the river of Saugus between Salem and Charles Town. And the
western men 4 miles south from Boston at a place we named Dorchester.
This dispersion troubled some of us, but help it we could not, wanting
ability to remove to any place fit to build a town upon, and the time too
short to deliberate any longer least the winter should surprise us before
we had built our houses. The best counsel we could find out was to build
a fort to retire to, in some convenient place if any enemy pressed
thereunto, after we should have fortified ourselves against the injuries
of wet and cold. So ceasing to consult further for that time they who
had health to labor fell to building, wherein many were interrupted
with sickness and many died weekly, yea almost daily. . . .
Insomuch that the ships being now upon their return, some for England
some for Ireland, there was as I take it not much less than an hundred
(some think many more) partly out of dislike of or goverment which
restrained and punished their excesses, and partly through fear of
famine not seeing other means than by their labor to feed themselves)
which returned back again. And glad were we so to be rid of them.
Others also afterwards hearing of men of their own disposition, which
were planted at Piscataway went from us to them, whereby though or numbers
were lessened yet we accounted ourselves nothing weakened by their
removeal. Before the departure of the ships we contracted with Mr.
Peirce Master of the Lyon of Bristow to return to us with all speed with
fresh suplies of victuals and gave him directions accordingly. . . .
The ships being gone, victuals wasting, and mortality increasing
we held diverse fasts in our several congregations, but the Lord would
not yet be deprecated; . . . The people who came over with us from the
time of their setting sail from England in April 1630 until December
following there died by estimation about 200 at the least. So low hath
the Lord brought us! Well, yet they who survived were not discouraged but
bearing God's corrections with humility and trusting in his mercies, and
considering how after a greater ebb be had raised up or neighbors at
Plymouth we began again in December to consult about a fit place to
build a town upon, leaving all thoughts of a fort, because upon any
invasion we were necessarily to loose or houses when we should retire
thereinto; so after diverse meetings at Boston, Roxbury and Watertown
on the 28th of December we grew to this resolution, to bind all the
Assistants (Mr. Endicott and Mr. Sharpe excepted, which last purposeth to
return by the next ships into England) to build houses at a place, a mile
east from Watertown near Charles River, the next spring, and to winter
there the next year, that so by or examples and by removing the ordinance
and munition thither, all who were able, might be drawn thither,, and such
as shall come to us hereafter to their advantage be compelled so to do;
and so if God would, a fortified town might there grow up, the place
fitting reasonably well thereto. I should before have mentioned bow both
the English and the Indian corn being at ten shillings a strike, and
beaver being valued at 6 shilling a pound, we made laws to
restrain the selling of corn to the Indians, and to leave the price of
beaver at liberty which was persently sold for ten and 20 shillings a
pound. I should also have remembered bow the half of our cows and allmost
all or mares and goats sent us out of England, died at sea in their
passage hither, and that those intended to be sent us out of Ireland
were not sent at all; all which together with the loss of our six months
building, occasioned by or intended removeal to a town to be fortified,
weakened or estates, especially the estates of the undertakers who were 3
or £4000 engaged in the joint stock which was now not above so many
hundreds; yet many of us labored to bear it as comfortably as we could,
remembering the end of our coming hither and knowing the power of God who
can support and raise us again, and useth to bring his servants low,
that the meek may be made glorious by deliverance, Psal. 112.
I have no leisure to review and insert things forgotten but out of due
time and order must set them down as they come to memory. About the end
of October, this year 1630 I joined with the Governor and Mr. Maverecke
in sending out our pinnace to the Narragansetts to trade for corn to supply
our wants, but after the pinnace had doubled Cape Cod, she put into the
next harbor she found, and there meeting with Indians who shewed their
willingness to truck, she made her voyage there and brought us 100
bushels of corn at about 4s a bushel which helped us somewhat. . . .
But now having some leisure to discourse of the motives for other men's
coming to this place or their abstaining from it, after my brief manner
I say this- That if any come hither to plant for worldly ends that can
live well at home be commits an error of which he will soon repent him.
But if for spiritual and that no particular obstacle binder his
removeal, he may find here what may well content him: vizt: materials
to build, fuel to burn, ground to plant, seas and rivers to fish in, a
pure air to breath in, good water to drink till wine or beer can be
made, which together with the cows, hogs and goats brought hither
already may suffice for food, for as for fowl and venison, they are
dainties here as well as in England. For clothes and bedding they must
bring them with them till time and industry produce them here. In a word,
we yet enjoy little to be envied but endure much to be pittied in the
sickness and mortality of our people. And I do the more willingly use this
open and plain dealing least other men should fall short of their expectations
when they come hither as we to our great prejudice did, by means of
letters sent us from hence into England, wherein honest men out of a
desire to draw over others to them wrote somewhat hyperbolically of
many things here. If any godly men out of religious ends will come over
to help us in the good work we are about I think they cannot dispose
of themselves nor of their estates more to God's glory and the furtherance
of their own reckoning, but they must not be of the poorer sort yet for
diverse years. For we have found by experience that they have hindred,
not furthered the work. And for profain and debouched persons their
oversight in coming hither is wondered at, where they shall find nothing
to content them. If there be any endued with grace and furnished with
means to feed themselves and their's for 18 months, and to build and plant
let them come into our Macedonia and help us, and not spend themselves
and their estates in a less profitable employment: for others I conceive
they are not yet fitted for this busines.
Touching the discouragement which the sickness and mortality which every
first year hath seized upon us, and those of Plymouth, as appearth before,
may give to such who have cast any thoughts this way (of which mortallity
it may be said of us allmost as of the
Egyptians, that there is not an house where there is not one dead, and in
some houses many) the natural causes seem to be in the want of warm
lodging, and good diet to which Englishmen are habituated at home;
and in the sudden increase of heat which they endure that are landed
here in summer, the salt meats at sea having prepared their bodies
thereto, for those only these 2 last years, died of fevers who landed
in June and July; as those of Plymouth who landed in winter died of the
scurvy, as did our poorer sort whose houses and bedding kept them not
sufficiently warm, nor their diet sufficiently in heart. . . .
Upon the 5th of February arrived here Mr. Peirce with the ship, Lyon of
Bristou with supplies of victuals from England who had set forth from
Bristou the first of December before.
The ship now waites but for wind, which when it blows there are ready
to go aboard therein for England Sr. Richard Saltonstall, Mr. Sharpe, Mr.
Coddington and many others, the most whereof purpose to return to us
again, if God will. In the meane time we are left a people poore and
contemptible yet such as trust in God, and are contented with our
condition bing well assured that hee will not fail us nor forsake us.
I had allmost forgotten to add this, that the wheate we received by
this last ship standes us in 13 or 14 shillings a strike, and the pease
about I Is. a strike besides the adventure, which is worth 3 or 4
shillings a strike which is an higher price than I ever tasted bread
of before.
The like accident of fire also befell Mr. Sharpe and Mr. Colborne upon
the 17 of this March both whose homes, which were as good, and as well
furnished as the most in the plantation were in 2 houers space burnd to
the ground togeither with much of their house hould stuff, apparell and
other things as also some goods of others who sojournd with them in
their houses; God so pleasing to exercise us with corrections of this
kind, as he hath done with others, for the prevention whereof in or new
town intended this somer to be builded, we have ordered that no man
there shall build his chimney with wood, nor cover his house with thatch,
which was readily assented unto, for that diverse other houses have bene
burnd since or arrivall (the fire allwaies beginning in the
woodeden chimneyes) and some english wigwams which have taken fire in the
roofes covered with thatch or boughs.